Long-term Value, Always Choose a Top Quality Paint -

Most home owners approach house painting the way investors approach the stock market -- looking for the best long-term value and the greatest return on investment.

If you share this philosophy, then your choice of paint is quite simple, according to experts at the Rohm and Haas Painting Quality Institute: The highest quality paint, which offers the best performance, is always the best long-term value among exterior paint products. And that's true whether you hire a contractor or do the painting yourself.

An analysis of life-cycle costs proves the point:

• Let's say you live in your current home for five years. If you employ a painting contractor, the cost-per-year of service for quality paint is only $500, compared to $920 with ordinary paint. Why? Because you would have to apply longer-lasting quality paint only once during those five years, rather than twice with ordinary paint. If you are a do-it-yourselfer, the cost-per-year differential is less, but still significant.
  
• If you live in your home for 10 years, the savings are especially dramatic. While the first application of top quality paint would last 10 years, you would likely have to apply ordinary paint two or three times during that period. A contractor-applied job with top quality paint would result in a cost-per-year of only $250, compared to $690 for ordinary paint, assuming three applications -- $50 per year compared to $90 per year.
  
• Even if you stay in the home for 15 years -- during which time the top quality paint would have to be reapplied -- the quality of coating proves to be the better value. And, by a wide margin for professionally applied paint. (See chart)

According to the Paint Quality Institute, no matter how long you stay in your home, it is hard to make a case for applying anything less than the best exterior paint. Even if you plan to move in just a couple of years, you would save very little by using an ordinary paint -- a couple of hundred dollars at most. And, since few of us know exactly when we will move, it's wise to plan for the long haul.

Moreover, a house that looks freshly painted may sell a lot faster, so even under this scenario, top quality paint offers great value.

What's the best exterior paint? According to the Paint Quality Institute, for all applications, top quality paint is best. It offers good adhesion, superior durability and the flexibility to expand and contract with changing temperatures.

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